James Daunt

Managing Director, Waterstones

Just four years ago Waterstones was facing oblivion thanks to Amazon’s relentless rise to dominance and the dawn of the e-book, but 2015 saw it return to profitability, and James Daunt is largely responsible for its extraordinary turnaround. As the founder of the small chain of Daunt bookshops, his appointment by Russian billionaire owner Alexander Mamut may have seemed surprising, but Daunt has delivered on his task to reinvigorate Waterstones, bringing the magic and charm of the local bookshop to the high street giant. After working as an investment banker in the US, Daunt founded his eponymous chain in 1990 on London’s Marylebone High Street, later opening another five shops around the capital. At Waterstones, he allows staff to choose what they stock, encourages a culture of traditional bookselling, and has ended the practice of publishers paying for prominent spots in stores.

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